A new report by Bond Caste and Development Group, of which Karuna is a member, has been launched. The report has found that caste and other forms of “discrimination based on work and descent” (DWD) continues to be a barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the UN in 2015. It calls for policy makers to have a greater awareness of DWD and caste in order to achieve development goals. 

One of the main authors, Murali Shanmugavelan, writes “Caste remains a source for physical and sexual violence, poverty and hunger, exploitation, lack of access to drinking water and sanitation, social and economic inequalities and lack of opportunities in urban labour markets. This report shows why caste deserves the same level of policy attention as race, ethnicity and gender, especially when caste is bound with other identities and reinforces barriers and inequalities.”

Read the full report here.